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"It wasn’t about softball anymore on Saturday. Which team moved on to the regional quarterfinals didn’t mean as much anymore heading into the final games of Cinco Ranch’s UIL Region III-5A area round series against MacArthur. It was just the night before that players, coaches and fans from both sides were shocked at the death of Ricky Scearce, the umpire who was officiating Game 1 between the two squads. Scearce suffered a heart attack on the field during the second inning of Friday’s game and was pronounced dead. That postponed the Game 2 until Saturday, when Cinco Ranch beat MacArthur, 6-0, and followed up with a 7-4 win in Game 3. But again, Miller said this was about more than winning. “When it’s all set and done, it’s about young people because as elated as we are, they’re just as crushed,” he said referring to MacArthur. “They had a real good season. A lot of things happened out here, so we can go on and on and talk about what we had to go through last night, but that’s not near what coach Scerace’s family had to go through. “To me, that was in my mind the whole time we were out there.” Scearce was more than just an umpire. He was a Katy resident and a well-respected man in the community. He was a former Katy ISD employee, retiring in 2008. He worked for the district for 28 years, spending much of his time umpiring various local sporting events. Scearce also served as the athletic director for Memorial Parkway Junior High School. After Scearce’s death on Friday, both teams formed a circle and had a moment of silence. The games picked back up today, starting with the second inning of Game 2. Before Saturday’s games, there was another moment of silence for Scearce and the Cinco Ranch players honored him by writing “RS” on their taped wrists. In addition to that, Aldine ISD was accepting donations at the gate in honor of Scearce. “I had the pleasure of knowing him,” said Katy ISD athletic director Debbie Decker, who was in attendance for Saturday’s games. “He was one of our junior high coordinators. He was an honorable man, great coach, great people person. He always went above and beyond the call of duty for us.” Scearce also was a good friend of Miller’s off the field. Miller said he knew him best as a dedicated family man and a man who impacted many lives. Having to refocus themselves after Friday wasn’t easy for players on both sides. But that’s exactly what the players did. Cinco Ranch ace Kayla Ober was outstanding against MacArthur in Game 2. The Cougars got three runs in the third to get a firm grip on the lead. Game 3 was closer. Ober was still effective in the circle, but MacArthur turned Cinco Ranch’s 4-1 lead into a 4-3 lead in the sixth. Karli Hamilton’s two-RBI double and Savannah Warren’s RBI single extended the lead and allowed the Cougars to hold on. Cinco Ranch athletic coordinator Don Clayton, who also knew Scearce well, said he admires the players on both sides for playing hard today after essentially witnessing a death on Friday “It’s something when a teenager has to see something like that,” he said. “By nature, teenagers think they’re bulletproof and are going to live forever. It’s nothing wrong with that, but when they see something happening in front of them, it’s got to have an effect on them.” Funeral arrangements have been announced for Scearce. There will be a viewing from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Schmidt Funeral Home in Katy. The cemetery service will be at 10 a.m. Friday in Sealy. There also will be a Celebration of Life service at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Peter’s United Methodist Church in Katy."
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